Fujirumors, Canon Watch, Sony Alpha Rumors, et al, TIPA Awards are like pre-school: show up and you get candy. At their most stringent, they are like those everyone-that-signs-up-wins scholarships.

Full disclosure: it doesn't hurt to try. If you're a cash-strapped student in a land that requires you pay for post-secondary, hit up as many gimme scholarships as you can. If you're a camera manufacturer desperate to tell your most ardent supporters that they should still purchase from you, hit up as many gimme awards as you can. I recommend TIPA.